𝓶𝓲𝓭𝓷𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓼𝓾𝓷

neat and boring is not the insult carter thinks it is, but raphael is perfectly content to let the other man believe he has stolen a small piece of the ground beneath their feet. neat and boring is precisely how you survive the clean, white light of a campaign trail. if you are as plain as vanilla, there are no sharp corners for a reporter to grab onto, no dark stains left on the carpet for the public to analyze until the votes are counted. you win this world by becoming so predictable that people forget to look for your teeth. he doesn't pull his arm back from carter’s shoulder; instead, his eyes trace the tight line of his jaw before coming to a rest on his lower lip. “ i saw how you looked at me the last time we did, ” his tone light and conversational as they step into the crowd together. “ probably took a lot to keep your hands to yourself, didn't it ? and of course, princess. i'll buy the drink. ” guides them toward the polished mahogany of the bar, his free hand rising in a smooth, elegant nod to a couple of senators standing near the ice sculptures. reputation is a performance you have to give every day.

waits until they reach the high stools before he lets his hand drop from carter's shoulder, gesturing to the bartender. orders a neat whiskey for himself, his fingers steady against the marble counter while he leaves the silence open for carter to ask for whatever poison he chooses to hide behind tonight. “ you do know this will look exceptionally well for the two of us, ” voice carrying that practiced, honeyed rasp as his palm closes around the crystal glass placed in front of him. he watches the amber liquid settle against the ice. “ the papers will view it as a truce, a graceful separation from whatever old blood feud our fathers are currently bleeding into the newspapers. dare i say it will favor our own names when the dust settles. i think you and i would make an incredibly good team. ”

#carter.#amourneds #carter & raphael.#wink wink nudge nudge #carter doesn't </3 hahah

feels his gaze burning through him like fire, the way the other dares to look at him in public feels like a cardinal sin. ever the bold one raphael was, and yet somehow he always gets away with it. every single time. “ looked at you ? ” a scoff emits his chest, much more defensive than he ever meant it to sound. thank god he's had a few drinks and can blame the rosey cheeks on the alcohol, instead shoving the other's words off like they couldn't have been further from the truth. “ god, you're a cocky son of a bitch aren't you ? you think for a second i've ever looked at you like that ? please. ” though he follows suit as he's guided through the crowd with a firm hand against his frame. a sense of relief washes over carter when he removes his hand from his shoulder, sitting down with a sigh. watches as he orders for himself, rolling his eyes and asking for the same just to make life easier for the bartender.

“ what's that ? ” he questions half - heartedly, sometimes he'd really rather not to know the thoughts that are swarming around in the other's mind. the male ignores his words for the most part, until the last two ring in his ears — good team — carter takes that in about seven different ways. “ i just offered to help you out and you turned it down, now you wanna work together ? ” can't help but laugh at the thought, the two teaming up, yet carter knows that what raphael is saying is somewhat true. it would benefit them both in the long run, perhaps not their father's but most definitely them. “ are you trying to give me whiplash ? ” he taunts, finally taking a sip of his drink once it's slid over from the other side of the bar.

“ well, you have a lot of reason to distrust me, ” she responds, her voice taking on a sharp, lilting quality. she doesn't move from her spot near the door, keeping her fingers linked loosely behind the flat line of her skirt. “ one, i’m a complete stranger. two, you’re going to be in a very vulnerable position as you change clothes. three, i have a camera right there... and four. ” she pauses for exactly a beat as if she is running through a list of calculations in her head, before letting a small, bright giggle fall from her lips to break the tension she just built. she frames the words as a joke, a harmless bit of theater to disguise the cold, deliberate appetite that has been dictating her weeks. “ but it’ll be stupid for me to do anything, when everyone knows who you were last with. don’t you think ? ” she uses the question as a flimsy license to turn her head, her gaze skipping across his skin because the real thing is simply too close to ignore. “ oh, sorry, ” she says quickly, pivoting back toward the wood of the doorframe before her expression can expose the sudden, warm greed rising in her chest. “ i swear i didn’t see anything. ”

“ tell me if you need help with it, ” she adds, her focus dropping back to the worn edges of her clipboard to give her hands something honest to do while he unbuttons his pants behind her. she listens to the heavy rasp of the denim sliding down his thighs, the sound entirely too loud in the quiet of the room. “ please don’t force yourself into some of it if it doesn’t fit. ”

#suho.#amourneds #suho & jeni.

the response she gives only adds to the trust he begins to have in her, why would she risk her job over one actor after all right ? suho even laughs to himself at the realisation he's being paranoid, not one to usually feel vulnerable in any situation. “ i guess that makes sense. ” the male shrugs, catching her gaze for a brief second before she turns away with an apology again. “ it's just my chest— if you've watched any of my dramas before i'm sure you've seen it. ” states so simply, though if anyone else were to witness this scene right now, they might find it to be a whole lot more intimate than either of them are making it out to be right now. a nod of his head in thanks to jeni before tugging his jeans down the length of his legs, tossing them aside and grabbing the new pair of trousers from the hanger. with his back to the femme, he tugs them up and fastens them with ease. “ these fit pretty good, actually. ” suho admits, giving himself a once over in the mirror to make sure that rings true from every angle.

unlucky for suho, his patience is mighty thin and that's why the task of buttoning up the second shirt he's to wear begins to tax him. “ this is— how do these buttons even close? ” scoffs out in annoyance, turning towards jeni as he throws his hands up in defeat after trying several times. “ would you help me out here? ” sighs dramatically for him, not usually one to show any form of emotion apart from when he's working. “ please. ”

and his mother had the audacity to waste her final breath to tell him no one will look at him the way michin is looking at him right now. there is not a single trace of fear or worry in her eyes as she stares up at him. there is nothing but that beautiful, sharp gleam his mother cursed out during her last winter, insisting he would live and die without ever experiencing a single soft look from a woman. she was wrong again, of course. the dead woman had a cruel habit of trying to make him believe that he is a monster, but the girl in front of him completely rewrites the vocabulary of his skin. does not feel a single drop of judgment in her space, only the sheer, quiet understanding of what the two of them are when the lights are turned down low. a slow, steady smile forms on his lips at her delight, his large arms wrapping around her waist easily to pull her back against his chest. he would have wished the hug lasted a little longer than it did, his palms memorizing the smallness of her ribs through her shirt before she pulls away. decides right then that he will simply have to do better at finding gifts for her, if only to buy himself an extra few seconds of her weight against his ribs.

watches the raw fear blooming in the man’s eyes as the stimulant forces the heart to beat too fast against the bone. he takes in the wet confusion and the sudden, sharp reality of the hurt, finding every single micro - movement of the victim's face to be completely exquisite. humans are such interesting creatures when they are forced to sit alone with their own endings. he shrugs his shoulders when she asks if the man did anything wrong, because the body in the chair is completely innocent. he is a good man, probably the sort who pays his taxes on time, and the quality shows in the polite, desperate way he still tries to remain cordial while begging for his life between his restraints. but the bright expression on victor’s face instantly falters into something cold and flat. “ handsome ? ” he asks, a dark, breathless chuckle escaping his throat as his tongue rolls slowly against the inside of his cheek. without a single word of warning, his right hand closes into a tight, heavy fist and lands directly against the center of the man's face with enough force to splinter the cartilage. the sudden warmth of the man's blood covers his knuckles before the echo of the blow even leaves the walls.

#michin.#amourneds #michin & victor.#michin has no clue what you mean and actually can't hear you rn !!!

the looks that she gives victor would raise the hairs on anyone else's arms, doting hard on him in such a sickening setting like he's currently doing the most romantic gesture she could possibly think of. just as fast as she wraps her arms around him in a grateful embrace, her attention is back on their newest victim with sheer delight etched across such soft features for such a troubled girl. michin's poking and prodding at the new specimen much like a kid in the candy store, though of course she can't help but poke and prod at victor's buttons whilst she's at it. it's almost too easy to in fact, gasping with delight when without warning his fist connects harshly with his face, hand coming up to cover her mouth as she stifles a giggle. “ oh wow, someone's got a little streak of jealousy within them, huh ? ” the femme leans down to inspect the man's face, turning it with a grip of his jaw as he groans in pain — most definitely sporting a newly broken nose. “ i mean, really baby. it's like you don't even know me at all. you really think that helps your case ? ” attention is solely on him now as she steps in closer, fingers reaching down to take his hand and lift it up to his cheek to smear the blood from his knuckles over his face.

“ don't you know i think it's much prettier when someone has blood on their face ? ” michin smirks playfully, fingers idly dancing against his chest as she drops his hand back to his side. “ you think a nose job will make him look less handsome to me ? ” she taunts out, referring to the new injury he's laid upon their poor guest of honour. “ this suits you much better, ” hands lift to cup his jaw, thumb smearing the blood further over his cheek. “ you should always look this good. ” teases wickedly, pulling her thumb back to suck the blood off of the digit whilst remaining eye contact with her lover. that's when she breaks the tension between them by turning on her heel, bending over to retrieve her favourite bedazzled pink pocket knife from her thigh holster causing the man's eyes to widen in horror. “ it's pretty right ? custom made. ” she brags to the man strapped to the chair, fingers twiddling with either side of the blade. “ it's nothing personal, i just wanted to be the first one to make you bleed but mr. jealous pants over here took the first go. ” femme pouts like she's not speaking about hurting him, leaning down to cut an open wound on the male's cheek as he winces in pain with sheer admiration in her gaze whilst she watches the fresh blood trickle down his skin.

⤿ yoomi + gillian › @ofdamnation .

careful eyes watched from the small mirror across the room, her eyes narrowed into two precise, unblinking slits as she tracked the exact second yoomi’s phone vibrated against the marble counter. it was a pathetic display. the instant the screen bloomed with light, yoomi’s entire posture unraveled. the rigid, professional line of her shoulders dissolved into something soft and defenseless, her face lifting with that sickening, incandescent glow that only appeared when new point of adoration was on the other end. the rising starlet. the new darling of the network. jaw tightened, the muscle ticking once beneath the skin before she forced it smooth. it was becoming a daily exercise of endurance. leaned into the secret. every time yoomi leaned over her shoulder, whispering a plea for gillian to cover her tracks, to stall the managers, or to scrub a stray piece of online fan - detective posts before the public could piece the timeline together, gillian simply nodded. each confidence was victory. with every desperate confession, gillian felt her teeth sink a millimeter deeper into the soft, vulnerable curve of yoomi’s neck.

trust was the ultimate currency, and yoomi was spending it entirely too fast. the more yoomi depended on her to protect this forbidden little romance, the more material gillian accumulated to eventually burn the entire house down. could already see the public ruin, the sudden, violent shift in the internet’s affection until the praise turned into a deafening chorus of disgust. and when the dust settled, when everyone else fled the radioactive carcass of yoomi’s career, gillian would be the only fixture left standing in the dark. yoomi would have no choice but to crawl back to her, broken and pliant, a perfect, predictable little puppet. a permanent, private revenue stream, just like all the others she had broken in before her. “ so how was your dinner ? i can promise the two of you can enjoy more dinners like this if you promise to stop making googly eyes at him whenever you’re on the same set, ” letting a low, easy chuckle slip through her teeth. “ because my girl, i am running out of ways to spin it. ”

#yoomi.#amourneds #yoomi & gillian.

yoomi's never been great at hiding her feelings, especially not in the company of someone she trusts. femme knows her only option is to, once again, go to gillian for help. pleas flee from her lips as she leans over the other's shoulder, showing her the latest things that dispatch are spouting about her and her current dating companion. a secret that only gillian knows the real details about, the one thing that she could take away from her in an instant and yet she helps yoomi to cover it up instead — what a great friend she's become to the idol. brows raise upon the other's sudden ask, clearing her throat as she begins spilling her guts without a second thought. she's the only one she's able to talk to about this kind of thing, so when the opportunity arises to gush about her other half, she just can't help but tell it all.

“ i so don't do that! — it was so good though, the place was super romantic and he pulled out my chair for me, we shared a bottle of wine and— it was so nice. i can't thank you enough for covering for us. ” innocent smile is paired with clasped hands like a love - sick puppy. apologetic expression takes hold upon gillian's warning words, a nod of her head as she tries to be more serious, sitting down and taking the other's hand into her lap. “ i owe you everything, seriously— i'll stop doing things to make your life harder... or at least try to. ” soft gaze upon her, giving gillian's hand a gentle and reassuring squeeze. “ we do have plans again this evening and this dispatch post is really gonna dampen them. think you can fix this too? ” doe eyes blink across at her, small pout forming on full lips as she pleads yet again. “ pretty please? i'll do anything. ”

the gut feeling she has for the man is apparently not wrong. the problem is that she does not have enough evidence to support what she feels toward him. if she goes to her father now with nothing but suspicion and circumstantial evidences, they will just label her a cassandra. knows how the story goes for women who shout warnings into empty rooms. nobody listens until the roof is already on fire. determined to know more. she needs to get more information from him that will make sure her claim is fool proof. wants his head rolling on the dirty city pavement while the people in the square are cheering.

she understands how fatal it would be to agree to this. she also knows he is not stupid enough to do something reckless right here. she turns around. forces a graceful smile as she faces the man. “ a moment of my time, ” she repeats. she stands perfectly still against the stone wall. “ seeing that you boldly speak to me directly and rather impatiently, i am assuming it is a matter of high importance. ” her voice has a sharp edge of sarcasm, but it is small enough that a person might miss it if they are not paying close attention. saying no to him right now would only make it look like she is scared. she is not. “ but how can i say no to the person who brings so much joy to my father's dull home. ” she adjusts the heavy fabric of her sleeve. “ what is it you want to speak with me about ? ”

#chester.#amourneds #chester & jiu.

watches every little action and reaction the princess makes, ensuring to keep his distance for the time being just in the off chance that she doesn't take him up on his ask. there's also the case of on-lookers, passer-bys — he had to make certain that no one would be able to see them, hear any of their conversation or see the court jester being so bold as to approach the royal alone. there's a curteous nod of his head as she repeats him, giving a slight bow in her direction. there's a slight chuckle that emits his chest upon her choice of words, supposes it was bold of him to grab her like this but he needs to know just how much the princess knows at this point in time — she's causing problems for him.

“ i suppose it is, your highness. ” the male waits another beat before he steps in closer upon her approval to speak. “ there appears to be a rumour, princess jiu. ” carefully hand picks his words in front of her, clearing his throat as he steps in to close more space between them. “ i do hope you'll forgive my intrusion, ” another step, smirk tugging at the corners of his lips as hard as he tries to mask it. the princess is forced backwards until she meets the wall, his voice low and husky. “ i have heard that you're asking around the court about me. ” perhaps it is a threat, perhaps it's just to make sure no one overhears — either way, chester's frame now towers over her own without a hint of remorse. “ what questions have you been asking your loyal little subjects? ”

b3dchem

" babe , i'm fuckin' hot all the time . but , what would you prefer my mouth doing instead of talking shit ? hmm ? "

#omg no it's perfect #tysm for the reply !! <3 #addison.#scxlife #addison & nadine.

an immediate roll of her eyes in response to the other's words , arms coming to fold across her chest as she gives her a once over . " well it's not fucking rocket science, is it nadine ? "

nouvelis

“oh, why?” koji asks with a smug smirk, entirely anticipating her answer. “afraid you’d have to compete with my thousands of fans?” his smile widens at the sight of her burning cheeks, always having found it incredibly endearing how easily he can fluster her with the smallest actions. “well, it’s gotten me this far, hasn't it?” he isn’t from a picture-perfect family where everyone gathers to enjoy a home-cooked meal after a long day. no — he was raised primarily by the family maid while his father was forever absent, buried under demanding filming schedules, until koji began living on his own in his late teens. it has been takeaway galore ever since. “don’t be judgmental,” he counters smoothly. “you can get plenty of incredible food with takeaways. it’s basically the exact same restaurants you go to for formal gatherings, just delivered faster.”

#yoomi.#nouvelis #yoomi & koji.

then comes the daggers in his direction, a sarcastic look in place of her usual smiley expression. “what fans?” femme scoffs playfully, unable to reach the full level of mean that anyone else would. “barely.” yoomi shakes her head, mixing the pasta in with the sauce as he continues to defend his honour. “i'm not judging you! i'm concerned, you big oaf.” she sighs out, giving him an elbow against his stomach as she's still turned away from him. “you can, huh? well not on my watch.” the idol huffs, already made up her mind on the situation which means there's nothing koji could say to change it now. "prepare for homecooked meals whenever i'm around, alright? no man of mine is gonna go hungry."

gctfuked

there at the corner of his lips had settled a soft grin, the lies that leave her brims has always been laughable. he noticed the way her eyes danced on parts of his face, like his eyes and lips. who was she trying to fool? probably herself. ❝ i do, but you love the idea of torturing me. ❞ as expect she plays hard to get, not for dimitri. his gaze still remains on her as she laughed her little heart out, taking a look down along her neck, the same neck he has kissed and left bruises behind. her chest pressed more against him, and his hands caught her waist. ❝ deep down you know that's not true.❞ he whispered close enough that his breath ghosted her glossy lips. ❝ i know that all the others don't satisfy you enough, but you can believe that lie. ❞

#so sorry for her </3 #danica.#gctfuked #danica & dimitri.

huff leaves her chest at his words, eyes sparkling with desire alongside her words not matching her body language. ❝ torturing you? it's definitely fun to do that, i'll admit. ❞ she taunts, watching his lips as they practically ghost over her own. danica notices the not-so-subtle gaze that drops down the entire length of her neck, hand lifting up to accentuate the soft skin of healed bruises. ❝ deep down you hope to god it's not true, you mean? ❞ eyes drop to watch his mouth again, closing the small gap left as her tongue darts out to wet his own lips only heightening the tension between them before pulling back with a satisfied hum. ❝ you do taste better than the rest of them, ❞ the red head taunts, smirk still plastered across glossy lips. ❝ skill wise though? i'm not so sure. ❞

the man had to use all of his control to not roll his eyes into the back of his head from her response, though a small portion of this may have still found its way to break through. 'probably not' was his initial inner dialogue of response, though he tried to choose his actual words more carefully. "that depends," the man replied, brows still furrowed - though admittedly becoming slightly less so with the look she was trying to give him. her eyes had a way of disarming him, and he hated that. "what did he do this time?"

#yoomi.#purplemccns #yoomi & danny.

yoomi can tell his patience is wearing thinner and thinner with her, as hard as he tries not to let it show. soft pout on her lips as she thinks of the best way to word this — though it's not exactly going to sound great either way. "well, it's just that— well, basically we had plans and he blew them off... again." though her face scrunches up, telling danny that there's much more to this story. innocent gaze meets his own, the guilt soon eating her alive that she hasn't told him everything. "that just happened to also be on my birthday?"

lips curved in an intrigued grin, doyoon couldn't help but suck an inhale through his teeth at the femme's haunting statement — or at least what she was evidently trying to be. "that all depends," he cooed softly, leaning in closer to the femme as if to give her easier access. "would you classify that as a threat or as a reward?"

#addison.#purplemccns #addison & doyoon.

eyes narrow in the other's direction, a scoff emitting her chest as arms come to fold across her chest in some form of defence. "is that what this is?" a less than amused laugh escapes her lips as she throws her head back. "oh wow, you're really getting off on this shit?"

with the femme's mention that it wasn't as simple as he's trying to make it, the internal monologue ongoing in his head argued that he didn't see the situation as simple at all — that he never did. but that's what made loving someone all the more complicated, was it not? these thoughts remained inside him for the time being though, as he wanted to ensure alara knew he was listening to her and not simply trying to disagree. he wanted her to know that she was heard. so when the woman's hands dropped, an act that he felt seemed as if she was trying to disarm some of the worry and fear that was still bottled inside her, he continued to give her his undivided attention. and while her confession was surprising, he was waiting for the awful part that would make him never want to be around her again. the actor remaining silent until alara's declaration that he'd be better off without her, her becoming quiet moments after indicated she'd spoken what she needed to. hands raising to cup the brunette's face, he ensured to gain eye contact before he spoke up once more. "i trust you," his words were soft, soft enough that were they to have any onlookers it would likely still seem silent in the space around them. "and if that's the worst you're keeping from me, you've never betrayed me." the man leaned down for a moment to place a gentle kiss on her temple. "i choose to see you through my eyes and not through anyone else's." one hand relaxed to let fingertips run down lightly on her jaw, the air weighted heavy as the two were close. "i can't think of my life anymore without you in it."

#alara.#purplemccns #alara & theo.#fkhgk passionately tells her he couldnt live without her #alara: ur an idiot #i.......... cannot w these two

alara feels like the entire world falls silent until he responds, ready to be told yet again that she's the worst person in the world and that he wants nothing to do with her — to leave her like everyone else eventually does. a short gasp emits her lips when the other suddenly takes hold of her face, heart practically skipping a beat under his gaze. "theo..." it's more of a sigh of relief, the wall she's put up around herself slowly breaking down in his presence. gaze bores into his own as he says all the right things, shaky breath emitting her lips as he reiterates every thought he had previous to her telling him — although it's not in much detail, he finally knows that she's not proud of all of the things that she's done to get to where she is right now. "you're an idiot." it comes out less playful than she means for it to, especially when the tears that have been threatening to fall eventually roll down her cheeks as arms come to wrap around his neck and bring him in for a passionate kiss. the only time she separates from him is to come back up for air, arms squeezing tightly around his frame like she's finally able to be herself with him — she feels free for the first time in forever.

one of the best things about sukwon, among many others, was that he somehow continued to keep taehee interested. so when he gave the warning that she should want to watch her mouth, a comment she was certain held a bite behind it that he's show her later, the reply was rolling off her tongue before she really had the chance to think it through. "and what would you do to me if i don't?" words were spoken with the absence of a grin, though the mischievous glint was sparkling effortlessly in her eye. but it was the feeling of the man's lips back on the delicate skin of her neck that caused the femme's knees to genuinely buckle, the woman thankful she had her arms wrapped around his broad shoulders for an anchor of support. chocolate irises rolled backward as she revelled in the way he knew just what spots made her weak, body shivering slightly at the mix of his warm lips and the heat of his breath as he littered her with sensual kisses. one hand trailed further upwards until fingers grew intertwined with his raven locks, pulling his head backwards momentarily to make eye contact with the other. "i want you to claim me while wearing this," her other hand pulled back to her chest, nails tapping on the necklace he'd just gifted her. "only this."

#sukwon.#purplemccns #sukwon & taehee.#ghkgkgh taehee: paint me like one of ur french girls #man is HOOKED on her fr fr

brow raises upon her bratty response, although it's his favourite kind of response it's only because he gets to prove her wrong in the end. "isn't that a bit of a silly question?" chuckles lowly, smirking against her skin that grows hot under his touch. a low groan rumbles in his chest as taehee's hands come up to grip onto dark tresses, hands moving to grip tightly on her waist. "only that, huh? you love it that much you refuse to take it off?" sukwon taunts playfully, gaze dropping to imagine her entire frame in such a vulnerable state. sounds like he's forgiven for now, but he won't dare to test that theory — instead he continues, planning to fulfill her every wish as his hand travels down the length of her thigh before hooking under her knee and pulling her leg up to wrap around his waist. "will we take this off first?" sukwon teases, his other hand moves to tug at the bottom of her shirt.

' i'm literally going to die of boredom if i have to spend one more minute in this stupid club , ' setting the scene to snap the trap on the unsuspecting victim in her company as she amps up the drama of the situation . ' hey , you think you could get us out of here if you use that pretty little head of yours ? ' seals the deal as fingers move to curl loose strands of hollis' hair between manicured fingers . ' i'll seriously do anything for you if you do this for me . ' / closed starter for @hellrisings

#aleah.#hellrisings #aleah & hollis.#i.......... have no words x

hellrisings

" —— little hottie? " he finishes for him with a beaming grin, graciously taking the hit ( so cute! resembling a tiny little kitten! ) and patiently waiting until the other has gotten it out of his system before hands reach up to loop his fingers with his. " of course i care about the answer, that's why i asked you. don't blame me too much, i didn't know how special i was to you until today. " the sincerity in which he says his words could have been misconstrued for mocking, but it's sincerity of the highest caliber. mixed in with some amusement. and a dash of smugness. but only a dash. " let's kiss again. "

#brody.#hellrisings #brody & rex.#he's a sick sick lil individual!!!

if looks could kill right about now, rex would be dead on the floor from the way brody is staring him down, eyes widening as his fingers suddenly lace with his own. " wha— you're not! you're not special! you are such a... a guy sometimes. " the male groans out in annoyance, brows raising in surprise as he rips his hands from rex's own, expression much more serious now as he stares the other down. " no! no way in hell— you can keep those lips to yourself. " hands push back against the other's chest, scoffing at him before taking a step back. " it was just for practice, and we... we've practiced enough now! "

hellrisings

his endeavour of moving past the colossal pout right in front of him is exercised with all of his might. he just doesn't have that much might to give, he's already basking in all of the attention and has almost forgotten how infuriated he had really been ten minutes ago. " say that a little louder. with your chest this time, " demands, as if he has any power in their current altercation. but his determination to show acton just how long ten minutes could be provides him with a healthy dose of bravado. " you've already hurt mine beyond repair. honestly, i may never recover from this. might as well just call me an ugly craphole right to my face. "